The present invention relates to wiener support assemblies used in heating units, usually for steaming wieners or "hot dogs", but also usable for heating other things if desired. It is more specifically concerned with such an assembly which achieves more direct and efficient heating of wieners on top of a wiener stack in the assembly and eliminates problems caused by the dripping of wiener juices onto heating elements in heating units.
The present invention overcomes the foregoing problems. It prevents the juices from falling into the water receptacle, and provides for their accumulation in a pan or tray that is readily removable. It also provides a means to conduct heat from the water receptacle directly to the upper parts of the stack of wieners on the grill, causing them to be heated quickly without overheating the lower ones. This it does by forming the juice pan with side walls extending from the pan at the bottom of the grill upward to the top of the compartment, spaced from the side walls of the compartment, with openings at the upper parts of the walls to permit steam to enter.
In the prior art, grills have been used in wiener heating units to support wieners above a heating element positioned in a water basin so that steam rises to heat the wieners. The grills upon which the wieners have been mounted have allowed wiener juices to drain through the grill into the water basin and coat the heating element which shortens the life of the heating element.
Prior art heating units also have heated the stack of wieners on the grill by heat rising from the water receptacle against the wieners at the bottom of the wiener stack, so that the wieners at the top of the stack are only indirectly heated by steam that passes through the lower wieners.
The present invention includes the juice tray that has as its object to prevent juices from the products being heated from discarding into the bottom of the steamer. It also has as its object to direct flow of convention currents to its upper end as well as to permit such to its lower parts. The juice tray is insertable from above into a walled heating compartment of the steamer, with means at its upper end to suspend it on the steamer with its tray receptacle above the bottom thereof.
A wiener grill is insertable from the top into the tray, and rests on inwardly extending ledges above the bottom of the tray to provide support for the stack of wieners.
A further feature is that the pan can be removed by being lifted out the top of the steamer.
Another feature is that the grill has grid-type sides that aid in supporting a stack of wieners within the juice tray walls. And this grill is also removable from the top of the steamer.